"OZI" 2003 Obituary

OZIEWICZ o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-09-06 published
Parachute officer dies after jump over water
By Estanislao
OZIEWICZSaturday,September 6, 2003 - Page A6
The man who commanded parachutists at Canada Forces Base Trenton
died yesterday morning after jumping from a helicopter over Lake
Ontario's Bay of Quinte.
Lieutenant-Colonel Michel
BLANCHETTE, 49, was participating in
his unit's annual water-landing refresher qualifications.
The Montreal native was a 20-year veteran who had experienced
more than 2,000 parachute jumps. He is survived by his wife and
two children.
A Forces public affairs spokesman confirmed that witnesses: said
Lt.-Col. BLANCHETTE separated from his parachute too early before
hitting the water at Baker's Island. His parachute had opened.
Lt.-Col. BLANCHETTE was pronounced dead at Trenton Memorial Hospital.
Major Jean
MORISSETTE said an investigation, with the results
to be made public, is under way. The training exercise involving
about 75 soldiers was called off.
Lt.-Col. BLANCHETTE was the first of six parachutists jumping
from a helicopter at about 300 metres. Parachuting over water
can be very tricky because a jumper, for example, may misjudge
height coming down in clear, sunny weather over glassy water.
Parachutists must separate from their parachutes upon hitting
the water to avoid being tangled in their paraphenalia. "You
have to separate from your parachute because if the canopy gets
on your head, it could cause problems," Major
MORISSETTE said.
"You have to separate as soon as you touch the water. It appears
he separated before, and we don't know the reason."
Governor-General Adrienne
CLARKSON, commander-in-chief of the
Canadian Forces said in a statement that she was shocked and
saddened by the fatal accident. She said Lt.-Col.
BLANCHETTE
was highly respected by soldiers and fellow officers.
Major MORISSETTE said such dangers are part of military life.
"It's a risky business. Even though we take all safety precautions
at every turn, there is always inherent risk associated with
military life," he said.
The mission of the parachute centre is to support "the generation
and deployment of combat-ready forces through the conduct of
parachute-related training and aerial delivery operations."